By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
PEORIA, Ill. – On the eve of the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championships in Peoria, Ill., the Tennessee Tech softball team took home some hardware as senior third baseman Carmen Betts and junior first baseman Sydney Kirby were named to the first- and second-team rosters respectively, while Kirby and freshman pitcher Emily York and junior pitcher Payton Wagner were both named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team on Tuesday night.
The teams were voted on by the league's coaches and sports information contacts.
The Golden Eagles open play in the OVC tournament on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. against Lindenwood.
Betts had a phenomenal season for the Golden Eagles as she batted .382, collecting a team-high 41 RBI on 52 hits, including 13 doubles, three triples and three home runs. With emphasis on conference stats, Betts shined as she hit .390 with 30 hits and 26 RBI, as well as eight doubles, two triples and one home run. From her third-base roost, she had a .958 fielding percentage. Betts recently broke into the career top 10 in RBI with her 102nd run driven in.
Kirby shined in conference play as she batted .349 in 20 contests, hitting nine doubles and two home runs with 18 RBI and seven runs scored and stole two bases. She posted a .991 fielding percentage at first with one error. For the season as a whole, Kirby hit .315 with 34 total RBI and 12 runs scored, collecting 12 doubles and three home runs.
Wagner finished the regular season with a 2.34 ERA and an 8-4 record overall in 22 appearances and 17 starts. She threw three complete games, had two solo shutouts and one combined and gave up 38 total runs – 26 earned -- across 77 2/3 innings pitched. She walked and struck out 35, while opponents hit .277. In conference play, she had a 3-3 mark with a 2.30 ERA, allowing 24 runs – 14 earned – over 42 2/3 innings, walking and striking out 18 with opponents hitting .299.
York had a 2.38 ERA and an 8-4 overall record in 33 appearances, starting four games with two complete efforts. She combined for a shutout and recorded seven saves – tying her with Tech softball legend Bonnie Bynum Graham for the single-season record – and ranked fifth in NCAA Division I. York allowed 43 runs – 36 earned – on 103 hits as she walked 24 and struck out 69 with opponents hitting .252. In conference play, she was 5-4 with a 2.71 ERA, walking 20 and striking out 43 with opponents hitting .243. She allowed 31 runs – 27 earned – with 20 walks and 43 strikeouts.
